Charlotte home and Democrat., 1887-06-03
Sympathy.

Sympathy, the feeling with another heart
in its mingled experiences. whether glad
or sorrowful, is blessed power on the
earth. "Ohl of what use ID sbmpaths?"
said one friend to another, who was pass
ing under the shade of great and fearful
grief 'sIf / could only do something for
you, wonld be so glad, but I can only
press your hand and weep!p Only that,
but it is enough. Nothing so hghtens The
pressure Of pain and ache that is wear
ing on the soul as the feeling that others
are sharing the sorrow. That. though
they cannot give back the lost darling,
nor restore the light to the sdarkeued
home, nor lift up the load of care aud re-
lieve the suspense, they can give the
sweetness of friendship, the trustfnl clasp
ing of the hand, the kiss that tells love
" hich the heart may be too full TO speak.
Nothing so intensiies the bliss of joyful
hour as the knowledge THAI somebody
else is glad with as. When, years ago,
our boys came home from the war, bring
ing their bronzed faces and their smoked
and tattefed battle.fags, more beautiful
by far than when they went away, be-
cause they had been hallowed by valor
and sacrifice, their triumph was the greater
because the dear ones at home shared
in it. While every window was bios
somed with smiling faces, and every heart
sent up cheer, and every step was
greeted with delight, they felt that life
had come to its climax. Sympathy was
there, binding soul to soul, overcoming
all discords, banishing repulsions, and
knitting ties that could never be sun
dered.
Friends, whatever you do, never. with
hol1 81 81 ~
it. Is there, in your community, or in
your street, or somewhere in your neigh
| borhood, q tempted fellow creature,
tempted by appetite, disheartened by
falls? Do not despise him. Do not con-
denim him. Do not say, secure iu your
greater strength, that he is unworthy of a
helping hand.
| You have a rose bush full of buds. The
tiny veins, creamY-white or ruby-red,
show through the little sheath of green.
Another day of sunlight, another night of
dew, and the bud will waken to the live
liest bloom. Now, shut it up in the dark,
in the cold, away from the breath of the
sunny air, away from the bath of the gen.
tie dew-will it come out? No, you will
have arrested it's development. Not SO
are roses wooed to rich and queenly
beauty. Try that process on the heart of
your friend or on your little child. Many
a child for lack of sympathy is hopelessly
dwarfed and ruined. The capabilities are
there, but the want of genial comprehen-
sion, of intimacy, of warm, sunny affection
in the home, shuts them down, and they
i wither in the bud. Timid boys grow nm
truthful, affectionate natures morose, be.
cause they are met with sternness when
they ought to be treated with encourage
ment. Topsy. in "Uncle Toms Cabin 81
was a good illustration of the power q
sympathetic nature over even a very rude
and uncultured one. All Miss Ophelia's
missionary work for the little waif, her
teaching and training, were of sligh,
avail, but when Eva put her arms around
her, Topsy was won directly.
In our homes we seldom have to over
come resistance, but we often let the
children slip away because we do not sym
pathize with them. We forget how W.
felt when we were young. We look al
facts and fancies with eyes from which
experience has swept the golden glamour
and we are intollerant where we ought to
be patient. The generation which il
coming on the stage elbows and ,crowdl
, the one which has possession, and in each
the personal feeling influences aopinior
and action. Youth and age sympathiz
more readily than youth and middle age
because the latter, outside the intensity o.
the struggle, has leisure to get the chill
: dren back again Christian Zntelligen
GER